Pea-rake.



Patented oct. I7. |899.

V. C. DEVILLIEBS.

PEA BAKE.

(Application led Apr. 18, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l,

No. 635377. Patentd ont. I7, |899. v. c. nevlLLlEns.

PEA BAKE.

(Application led Apr. 18, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

NITED STATES VILLIERS OOULON DEVILLIERS, OF OPELOUSAS, LOUISIANA,ASSIGNOR TO MARIE JOSETTE MOREAU, OF SAME PLACE.

PEA-RAKE.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,277, dated October17, 1899.

Application filed April 18,1898. Serial No. 678,027. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, VILLIERS CoULoN DE- VILLIERS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Opelousas, in the parish of St. Landry and State ofLouisiana, have invented a new and useful Pea-Rake, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of rakes which are adapted to bedrawn over the field by horse or other power for gathering the crop, andis designed more particularly for that class of machines for rakingvines and dumping them in bunches or piles at the will of the operator.

The invention has for its object to prevent abnormal strain resultinginjuriously to the operating parts and to provide for an adjustment ofthe operating devices, the latter being under the control of the driverat all times, whereby the height of the teeth of the rake from theground can be adjusted and whereby the rake can be released, so as to beautomatically operated by the bunch, thus releasing the latter.

The improvement relates more particularly to the general construction ofthe implement and to the means whereby the operating devices are placedunder the control of the driver, and in order that the invention and theadvantages thereof may be fully explained reference is to be had to thefollowing description and the accompanying drawings.

The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form,proportion, and the minor details of construction without departing fromthe principle or sacrificing any ofthe advantages thereof, and to a fulldisclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of amachine or raking implement constructed in accordance with and embodyingthe vital features of this invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a top plan view, parts being brokenaway.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar numerals of reference areemployed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views, thenumeral 1 designates an axle forming an arch and on which an adjustableframe 2 has movement. The axle is supplied with suitable ground-wheels3, which engage lateral extensions of the same, and the adjustable frame2 comprises depending members 4, secured to a head 5. Attached to theupper horizontal portion of the axle-arch is a tongue 6, and on the rearportion of the same is mounted a board 7, from which rearwardly projectsan elongated seat-support 8,0m which a seat 9 is adj ustably mounted andin convenient position for engagement with stirrups 10, attached to thehead 5 and in which the driver places his feet. Rising vertically fromthe board 7 are bearing-standards 11, in which a transverse shaft 12 isrotatably mounted. Grooved segments 13 are secured to the ends of theshaft and have projections or hooks 14 at their front ends, to which theupper ends of chains 15 are connected. The said chains lie in thegrooves of the segments and have their lower ends secured to the head 5.

Journaled to the lower ends of the depending members 4 of the adjustableframe 2 is a rotatable cylindrical rake-head 16, the end portionsobtaining bearings in boxes 17, applied to the lower rear sides of theparts 4. The rake-head has three sets of teeth 18, 19, and 20, arrangedradially and spaced apart equally. Fulcrumed to the rear side of thehead 5 is a lever 21, which has connected thereto a coil-spring 22 forretaining it in normal position, and to the lower forward end of thesaid lever, below its point of attachment to the head 5,laterally-projecting arms 23 are connected. These arms extend parallelwith the rake-head and are adapted to coact with the rake-teeth in amanner and for the purpose presently to be set forth.

Secured to the shaft 12 is an operating-lever 24, having ahand-operatedlatch 25 adapted to cooperate with a toothed segment 26 to secure thelever and the rake in an adjusted position. This lever is intendedespecially for raising and lowering the adjustable frame 2 and therake-head 16. On one side of the segment 2G a safety-block 27 issecured, and consists of a piece of iron or other suitable materialbearing a stop. The object of this stop is to limit the movement of thelever 24 should the latter slip from the operators IOO hand. \Vhen thesaid lever is on the stop 27, the frame 2 is lowered in position to pullover level ground and can be lifted a considerable distance. In thisadjustment the operator simply pushes the lever 24 forwardly from himand in a direction reverse to the biting action of the latch 25, whichis used only to lower the frame when released. Extending from thelateral projections of the axle 1 are braces 28, which are connected attheir front ends to the tongue for evident purposes, and by suitableattachments draft-securing devices may be applied to the rake.

The operating of the device is as follows: The teeth 1S, as shown, areresting against the arlns 23, controlled by the lever 2l, and are heldin this position securely and against movement while the teeth 19 arepulling a bunch of vines. Vhen the bunch is large enough, the lever 21is operated to release the teeth 1S and the pressure of the vines on theteeth 19 revolves the rake-head 16 until the teeth 20 come aga-inst thearms 23, controlled by said lever 2l, and after this operation the teeth18 will be in position to pull and the teeth 19 relieved of the bunch ofvines which it has been in engagement with, and so on each set of teethpulls a bunch. On account of the interval between the let-go of one setand the taking hold of the next the vines of the bunches when left arenot all pulled. Consequently all rakes have to run twice over the samerow to finish pulling the vines.

The advantages of the present construction are manifold, and amongothers may be mentioned that the rake does not exert a heavy pull on theteam because the teeth, beinginclined, very easily break the vines, and,further, the frame of the revolving rake-head being adjustable the teethare set at will from the ground by the operator and the vines beingpulled are lifted and forced to the rakehead, making the vines entirelyfree from dirt. The weight of the tongue on the neckyoke is entirelyovercome by adjusting the seat to suit the weight of the operator. Thenthe rake is in operation, each set of teeth in turn assumes an uprightposition under the arch and their sharp ends thrust more or less in theloose ground; but should they strike any hard substance the adjustableframe su pporting the rake-head moves upwardly, thereby avoiding alldanger resulting from abnormal strain.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with anarched axle and supporting-wheels therefor, of a frame slidablyconnected thereto, a roller-journal in said frame and having a pluralityof series of raketeeth, a lever fulcrumed to said frame and having itslower end projecting forwardly beneath the frame and provided withlaterallyextended arms extending into the path of the teeth for holdingthem against rotation and for releasing them, a plate upon the frame, aspring disposed between the plate and the lever and adapted to hold thelever in a normal position, a shaft mounted upon the arched axle, twoindependent hoisting means mounted upon the shaft and connected with theslidable frame to adjust it and the rake-teeth vertically,a toothedsegment supported adjacent the shaft, a lever for operating the shaftand having a pawl adapted to engage the teeth of the segment, and meansfor limiting the movement of the lever and the adjustment of therake-teeth.

2. In an implement of the class specified, the combination with an axle,of a frame carried thereby and provided with a roller having a series ofrake-teeth, a shaft, hoisting devices carried by the shaft andoperatively connected with the frame, a lever secured to the shaft andcarrying a pawl, a toothed segment the teeth of which are located to beengaged by the pawl, means for limiting the backward movement of thelever to prevent the rake-teeth from coming in contact with the ground,and a lever carried by said frame and provided with an arm disposed inthe path of rotation of certain of the teeth, thereby to engage thelatter and prevent their rotation, substantially as described.

3. In an implement of the character specified, the combination with anarched axle, of an arch-shaped frame bearing a yieldinglymounted rakeand mounted tomove vertically upon the vertical side portions of thearched axle, a single shaft provided with remotely-disposed segments,flexible connections between said segments and the opposite end portionsof the arched frame, an operating-lever secured to the shaft for turningit in its bearings for effecting a vertical adjustment of said archedframe, and means for limiting the backward movement of the lever toprevent the rake-teeth from coming in contact with the ground,substantially as described.

4. The combination with a frame, of a rotary rake journaled to theframe, a lever fulcrumed to the rear side of the upper framebar andhaving its lower end extending forwardly beneath the said frame bar andformed with laterally-extending arms to engage With the teeth of therake, a plate projecting forwardly from the frame-bar, and a springinterposed between the plate and the forward extension of the lever,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence Of two witnesses.

VILLIERS COULON DEVILLIERS.

Witnesses:

R. LEE GARLAND, L. T. CASTILLE.

IOO

IIC

